Amid the Russian Invasion, Ukraine Stands up for Gender Equality

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Amid the Russian Invasion, Ukraine Stands up for Gender Equality
7/11/2022 by Alexandria Wilson-McDonald
What does Ukraine’s ratification mean for the future of the Istanbul Convention?


Activists carry signs during the March of Women 2021 on International Women’s Day in Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. (Evgen Kotenko/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

On June 18, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted legislation for the country’s ratification of The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence—otherwise known as the Istanbul Convention—to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s Parliament. Not even two days later, Ukraine’s Parliament voted to ratify this international treaty. Feminist activists and policymakers worldwide have lauded the Istanbul Convention as a landmark treaty for the advancement of women’s rights and gender equality. The Convention goes further than previous international treaties addressing violence against women to include a broad definition of gender-based violence that incorporates everything from physical and sexual violence to stalking, harassment, psychological violence, and reproductive violence.

Many may see the ratification of a milestone international convention to protect women and girls from violence as the opposite of controversial, especially at a time when invading Russian forces are committing mass gender-based atrocities and war crimes against Ukrainians. Yet, over the past 11 years, an initial eagerness to sign on to the Convention has given way to a growing trend across Eastern Europe: the demonization of the Convention and moves to withdraw from the Convention. Signing the once widely touted treaty amongst European states has taken on a new meaning in recent years as conservatives across Europe have mounted an organized opposition against the treaty as part of the so-called “anti-gender” movement. The Ukrainian government decided to ratify this international treaty at a time when ratification has stalled in many European countries in the face of conservative backlash, and some former ratifying countries are revoking their ratifications. Why, then, during a bloody war with an invading Russian military, did Ukraine take the time to ratify an international treaty to protect women and girls from violence that has seemingly never been less popular in the region? And what does Ukraine’s ratification mean for the future of the Istanbul Convention?


The Istanbul Convention and Its Opponents



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Amid this strong conservative backlash against the treaty, Ukraine has not only expressed an intention to abide by the Convention but will bring the country’s laws in line with the treaty to prevent and prosecute acts of gender-based violence. The Ukrainian Parliament’s ratification comes amid wide-scale reports of Russian war crimes and gender-based violence related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Not only are there growing reports of sexual violence committed by Russian occupying forces, but there have also been reports of trafficking for sexual exploitation of people fleeing Ukraine, among the other increased dangers that women face while living in and fleeing war zones as refugees. While women’s rights and gender equality policies have come under attack in Europe and throughout the rest of the world in recent years, Ukraine’s ratification of the Istanbul Convention is a crucial move demonstrating the vital link between gender equality, democracy and freedom. In particular, Ukrainian feminists and the LGBTQ+ community know what is at stake if Ukraine does not repel Russia’s invading forces.

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Thus, Ukraine’s ratification of the Convention not only sends a message to the Russian invaders, but also to other countries in the region about the necessity of gender equality policies and a reminder of how precarious these protections can be. Ukraine’s ratification of the Istanbul Convention and its signaling of support for gender equality legislation could be grounds for other countries to reconsider their stance toward the Convention, as they rally around in support of Ukraine and against an authoritarian aggressor.
Feminists across Eastern Europe have long highlighted the interconnectedness of gender equality and democratic governance in their advocacy work. It seems that in Ukraine, these calls are now being acted upon after many years of urging on the part of Ukrainian feminists for their government to ratify the Convention. It should also remind us all that, four months into this deadly invasion, supporting Ukraine is crucial in the fight for democracy and freedom for all.


https://msmagazine.com/2022/07/11/russian-invasion-ukraine-ratifies-istanbul-convention/